Steam, hydraulic, and other fluid-pressure engine



July 8. 1924.

J.-E. SCHUMACHER STEAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID PRESS URE ENGINE FiIed July 9, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 g :3 w R JuIy 8. 1924.

J. E. SCHUMACHER STEIAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID PRESSURE ENGINEFiled July 9,

, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I IF Ill rIIII July 8 1924.

1,500,206 J. E. SCHUMACHER STEAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID PRESSUREENGINE Filed July 9. 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 8 1924.

. J. E. SCHUMACHER STEAM, HYDRAULIC. AND OTHER FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE 9Sheets-Sheet 4 J. a. SCHUMACHER v V STEAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUIDPRESSURE ENGINE July 8 1924. 1,500,206

File d July 9, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 8, '1, 924. 1.500 ,206

J. E, SCHUMACHER STEAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE FiledJuly 9, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jul 8. 1924. 1,500,206

- J. E. scHuM cHE STEAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID PRESSURE ENGINEFiled July 9, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 July 8, 1924. 1 1,500,206

' J. E- SCHUMACHER STEAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID PRESSURE ENGINEFild July-9 1925 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 1 74 /6.

l i I 66 1 I 7 7 H l I 2 I v IL 57 8 H I M g n; WMJM II a STEAK,HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE Filed July 9. 1923 9Sheets-Sheet 9 Fla. 29.

Patented July 8, 1924. 1/

JAMES EDWARD SCHUMACHER, or YORK, ENGLAND;

; STEAM, HYDRAULIC, AND OTHER FLUID-PRESSURE ENGINE. 7

Application filed July 9, 1923. Seria1' N o."650,422. T i

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES EDWIARD SCHU- MAGHER, a citizen of theRepublic of Germany, residing at 50 Clarence Street, in the city andcounty of York, England, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n orRelating to Steam, Hydraulic, and Other Fluid-Pressure Engines.

1 This invention has reference to improvements in engines operated bysteam, water, gas, compressed air or other fluid or liquids undercompression, all of which liquids or fluids are hereinafter termed theoperative fluid, and it particularly relates to engines of the ty ehaving a rotating valve for admitting t e operative fluid directly tothe cylinders or to annular grooves of the valve casing and from thenceto portsof a single or double acting cylinder or cylinders.

The object of this invention is to provide an engine in which theoperative fluid is either admitted directly into the interior of asingle acting engine, or, in the case ofa double acting engine, intoannular grooves of a block fixed within the valve casing and uponthetopof which the valve is arranged to rotate, and in the case of a singleacting engine, the reversing gear is arranged at the base, and. for adouble acting engine it is preferably at the top.

In this invention an improved reversing gear and also means forautomatically balancing the rotary valve will be described.

This invention will be described as applied to the vertical type ofengine,but it should be clearly understood that the invention withslight modifications could be applied to the horizontal typ'e.

In the drawings hereunto annexed Fig. l'is a front elevation of a singleacting engine with this invention applied thereto V Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same looking at' the reversing gear end and with thepistons and connecting rods for one set of cylinders removed;

Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation on the irregular dotted line A, B,Fig. 1; I Fig. 4 is a part plan looking on the top of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on line C, D, Fig. 2

' Fig; 6 is a plan of the-plate upon which the rotary valve rotates; 1 wV Fig.7'is a part sectional elevation on the irregulardotted line E, E,Fig. 4;

PA l EN-TOF1 C 51. Iv

Fig. 8 is a part section plan online G, H,

Flg. 7; Fig. 9 is a section on line I, J, Fig. 11;

Fig. 10 is an elevation drawn at a right angleto' Fig. 9; I V

Figrll is aplan looking on the top of.

'"Fig. '12 is a section on 11116.1(, L, Fi 11;

Fig. 13 is an elevation of the connecting rod; 7, r I Fig. let is a partsectional elevation on line M,- N, Fig. 13

piston and its 13,. 1 Fig. 16 is an elevation of the rotary valve; Fig.17 is a plan looking a the top of Fig-16; I

"Fig.18 is a Fig. 19 Ba of Fig. 18;; V

Fig. 20 is a part-sectional elevation ofthe casing for-the rotary thebalance piston;x

' F' g. 21 is a plan. looking plan lookingiat the underside at the-topof Fig.

Fig. 221s an end elevationofthe carrier for the worm of the reversingmechanlsm;

Fig. 23 is a front elevation of the same;

' Fig. 24: is a plan'ofFig. 23; V g Figs. 25, 26, 27 and 28 arediagrammatic plans drawn on a reducedscale ofthe position of therotating valve-for a single acting engine provided withfour cylinders;

Fig: 29 isa part sectional elevation of the invention appliedto a doubleacting engine; Fig. 30 is a. plan of. the reversing gear for the engineshown at Fig. 29;.

Fig. 31.is a plan of the valve seat for the double acting engine.

Like "parts in all;the views are marked with similar letters Qfreference.

' Ona suitable bedplate 1 are mountedand fixed a pair of standards 2- atsuitable dis tances aparthaving secured to their top .a plate 3 to whichthe four cylinders 4, 4c, 4",

4. shown at Figs. l to i are secured. In some cases it maybe foundadvisable to use 'only two :cylinders.

for the vertical-spindle 7- and for the pin or;

stud, 8 upon which the rotary valve 9fis mounted.

"At the.bo mnf.tlieaaadards or p,

f Figelt') is a plan looking on the top ofFig.

section on 111351 0, P, 17;

valve and. bearing for rights 2,2 are formed or fixed'bearings orpedestals 10, 10 and one long pedestal 11 provided with bearings forthree separate shafts.

At Fig. two separate pedestals are shown, but if necessary these mayalso be formed in one having bearings for two shafts, but it ispreferred to use two separate bearings in order that provision may bemade for the clearance of the hereinafter described worm wheel.

On the bedplate is also mounted a third pedestal 12 for receiving thereduced end of a-shaft- 13 upon which shaft is mounted a fly wheel 14.The opposite end of the shaft 13 is carried by the central bearing ofpedestal 11.

The cylinders 4, to 4 are fixed in some cases on the top of the plate 3,or, as shown in the drawings at Fig. 1, they are pendantly secured toits undersurface, and the said plate is also recessed at 15 forlightness and provided with a valve seating 16, as shown in section atFig. 3.

By .the employment of the valve seating 16 provision is made for itbeing readily faced up to form the valve seating. To the top of thevalve seating is fixed the valve casing 9 (Figs. 1 to 4, 7, and 21). AtFig. 7 the plate 3 is shown perforated with one of a number of holes 17for conveying the operative fluid, which has entered the casing 9 bymeans of inlet pipe 18, into one of the cylinders 4 to 4. A hole isprovided for each cylinder employed which in the diagrammatic views atto 28 are marked respectively 17, 17 17", 17, from which it will be seenthat 17 and 17 are opposite to each other, and in order that they may bereadily understood each position of the rotary valve in Figs. 25 to 28are represented by dotted lines marked respectively W, lV, X, X, and Y,Y, and TV, TV again, there being four holes in the plate 3 and threeinlet holes or ports in the rotary valve.

The cover 9 for the single acting engine is fixed directly to the plate3, as shown at Figs. 1, 2 and 7, and it is provided with a centralopening 19,-Fig. 20,for the reception of the balance piston 20 providedwith the circular recess 21 for lightening purposes. V The lower portionof the casing is provided with the enlarged recess 22 which is of such adiameter that the portion 23 of the rotating valve ,will rotate freelytherein and at the same time be a perfect fit.

The face 24 of the rotating valve is ar ranged to work upon the valveseating 16 and it is provided with three .perforations ,;marked25,26 and27,-which may or nay' 7 not taper towards the upper surface of thev,alve,-andalso withthree recesses 28. 29

and 30, which are'shaped as shown at Fig.

19; that is to say, they taper inwards towards the circular recess 31.The recesses 28 to 30 are employed for conducting away the exhaust fluidafter it has performed the operations, and as it leaves the circularrecess 31 it is conducted away into the open air by means of the pipe32, (Figs. 1 and 2).

It will be understood that the number of inlet and exhaust passages willdepend upon the number of cylinders, but the number of exhaust passageswill always be the same as the number of inlet passages.

The rotary valve 23 is mountedupon the central bolt, or stud, or spindle8, which is provided with a head 33 and arranged to pass through thecentral portion 34 of the balance piston 20.

On the top of the rotary valve is arranged a boss by which it is securedto the central spindle 8 by a pin 36. On the central spin dle is mountedslidably on a key or spline a spur wheel 37 capable of sliding in anupand-down direction upon the central spindle 8, and the said wheel isemployed for imparting a rotary motion to the central spi1rdle 8 andvalve 23. Between the undersurface of the spur wheel 37 is mounted anysuitable arrangement of anti-frictional bearings, as, for example, theball race 38 is I provided with the balls 39 which are interposedbetween the upper surface of the balance piston 20 and the undersurfaceof the spur wheel 37.

A nut 40 is arranged to work on the screw threaded portion 41 of theupper portion of the bolt or spindle 8 for checking the move ment of thebalance piston 20. The outer end of the bolt or spindle 8 is alsoreduced in diameter for forming a pin engaging with a bearing formed inthe cross-bar 6, as shown at Fig. 1.

A spur wheel 42 is made to engage with the spur wheel 37 and spur wheel42 is mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 7 which is reduced at itsupper end 43 and its lower end 44 for entering the bearings formed fortheir reception respectively in the cross-bar 6 and into the lug 45formed on, or fixed to, one of the standards 2, the lower end of thelatter being retained in position by the bolts or cross-bars 46.

The spur wheels, as shown in the drawings. give a ratio of tworevolutions of the wheel 37 and parts'connected thereto to onerevolution of the wheel 42 and the shaft 7 The piston 20 by the actionof which the valve 23 is balanced is, as previouslydescribed, fittedabout the spindle 8, so that it may move longitudinally thereof. but isnot connected to the spindle to rotate with it and the valve. Thepressure within the casing '9 acts upon the lower face of the piston toface of the valve 23. When the pressure decreases, then the balancepiston 20 will fall on to theboss' of the rotary valve 23. By this meansthe rotary valve is permitted, regardless of the pressure in the casing,to rotate freely with little friction owing to the pressure within thecasing 9 acting upon the upper surface of the valve and with a slight-1y decreased force on the lower surface of the balance piston,-owing tothe'smaller area of the latter,the pressure upon the rotary valvetending to hold it upon its seating,and the pressure on the undersurfaceof the balance piston being to lift the valve away from its seating. Thepressure on the lower surface of the balance piston being slightly lessthan that on the upper surface of the rotary valve, the said-valve istherefore not lifted'from' its seat, but almost all the friction is.transferred to the ball race.

.As the operative fluid enters the casing 9 it passes through one of theopenings 25, 26 or 27 ,26 beingshown'in the drawings, and passes downthe passage 17 *inthe plate 3 and enters one of the cylinders ito 4,when it acts upon the piston a7 provided withthe piston rings 48, aridpresses the piston down to its lowest position and by means of theconnecting rod 49 the upper end of which passes into the recess 50 andis connected to the piston 47 by means of a gudgeon pin 51, the lowerend 52 of the connecting rod 49 is attached to one of the cranks-53. AtFig. 5 four of such cranks are shown so as to provide for a group offour cylinders'and four pistons and their respective connecting'rods,cranks53 being arranged at right angles to each other. Two shafts 54:,55 are each provided with two cranks 53 and they are mountedrespectively inQthe pedestals 10, 10 and 1 1. crank "shafts are gearedtogether by' means of the spur pinions 56,57 ,'respectively pro videdwith bosses 63, 64,- arranged to gear with the spur wheel 58 mounted andfixed upon the driving shaft 13. The two pinions 56 and 57 are of thesame diameter and provided with the same number of teethiso as to makethe same number of rotations to one 'ofthe spur wheels 58. The crankshaft 55 is retained 'in its working position by means of the boss 63and collar 59 and pin 60 mounted upon its right hand end, as-shown atFig. and the crankshaft 5 L is retainediri its working'position by meansof the boss .64 and the collar 61 and pin62- mounted on its left handend: i

[On the shaft 7 is mounted and fixed a worm wheel 65 "whichgearswithi-ayworm 66 mounted upon,and" arranged'to slide on,

a portion'of the shaft 55 between the side of the standard 2fand one ofthe cranks 53. On each side of; the worm is *fixed aplate 67 ,"68 whichare heldapairtbyfa block 69 secured in 'lpositionzrbyta' boltn'ZQ,Riga-5:22

The two:

to 2 4 Betweenthe inner surfaces of-the' plates 67 and 68 and workin ina'keyway 71 .fornied in the crank shaft 55. isa key 72-"fo'i' causingthe-worm 66 to rotate with end of the said lever is made cylindrical at.76 so as to fit within the rectangular or' other shaped hole 77,Figs; 22to 24,

formed" for its reception in the bracket 78 whic'h'is fixedby the setscrew 79 to th plates67,68'and block 69.

"Toth'e handled portion '80 of the. lever 73 is jointed'fat 81 a springcontrolled handle 82 provided with a'bifurcated projection 83' forconnecting it by means of a link-8it'to the lugs 85 of a sliding plate86.

The sliding plate 86.is provided with a'pro jecti'on or catch 87whichjengag'es with one of jtwopr 'more notches 88- formed in the armorbracket-89 which is fixed by the flanges 90 and set screws 91 totheedgeof one of the "standards '2. In the "position shownfatiFigs. 1:and2the lever 73 andits catch-"89 is shown engaged with air inner notch88." f 2 The operation of-the above'described en gine is'as follows:'

I The operative fluid enters the valve cash1g9 through the inlet pipe 18and extends in all directions and passes down through one of the inletports into one of the cylinders 4 to 4?. The position-of the valve 23determines which of thecylinders is in action, as, for'instance, whenthe inlet opening 26 of the rotary valve 23;;is over the openingorpassage 17 in the plate?) the opposite exhaust recess 29 is over thepassage 17 which communicates with cylinder a The opening26' and exhaustrecess 29 are then on the dotted line W, W (Fig; 25). As the valverotates in the direction shown by the arrow the inlet opening 27 isbrought over the'passage 17 which communicates with cylinder 4* andsimultaneously theex- 'hau'st"recess-.3O will be brought over passage17" which communicates with cylinder 4 and the opening 27 and exhaustrecess 30 are-then opposite to each other and on the dotted -line X, X(Fig. 26). Asthe rotary :valve' continues torotate its opening 25 willbe moved over the passage 17* which communicates with cylinder, 9- andthe exhaust recess 28 will .then be over passage ,17 which communicateswith cylinder 4, and the said inlet-opening and exhaust recesswillthenbe onthe line ,Y, 'Y, (Fig.

27) On further: rotation of the valve; the opening 26' will be over: thepassage 17 which communicates with cylinder, 4- and the exhaustrecess29. :will then befov'er pas-- ag :17 wh ch; wei im te w th cy nd 4 andthe said inlet openingand exhaust recess will then be on the lines 7, W(Fig. 28). The rotation of bringing the inlet openings and exhaustrecesses over their respective passages is then repeated so long as theoperative fluid is admitted to the casing 9.

The operative fluid during its expansion lifts the balance piston 20until the same is checked by the nut 40 on the top of the valve spindleor bolt 8. When, as the area of the balance piston 20 is less than thearea of the valve 23 it gives the valve just as much pull as is requiredto nearly balance the valve, consequently the. valve rotates withaminimum of friction and the principle load is carried by the ball orother anti-frictional bearing which is placed, as previously described,between the balance piston 20 and the spur wheel 37 above it. The valveis actuated by the wheel 37 keyed on to the spindle or bolt 8 and theyrotate, whereas the balance piston 20 is arranged to only move either upor down as may be. required.

By the'worm 66 being engaged with the worm wheel mounted upon thevertical shaft 7 the required rotary'motion is imparted to the spurwheel 42 whereby the required rotary motion is transmitted to the spurwheel 37 for operating the spindle 8 and rotary valve 23/ The worm onthe crank shaft 55 may be arranged to rotate, say, six times to onerotation of the worm wheel 65 and spur wheel 42 has preferably doublethe number of teeth to that of the wheel 37 which gives the rotation ofthree revolutions of the crank shaft to one of the valve spindle.

When the engine is stationary, or working under any pressure or at anyspeed itcan be reversed by moving the handled lever 73, and its catch 86is operated by the spring controlled lever 82 and moved into the outernotch 88 in bracket 89. The lower end 7 Got lever 73 will then move thebracket 78 inwards carrying with it the plates 67 and 68 and block 69and the, worm 66 and key 72. The sliding, movement of the worm'slightlyturns the worm wheel 65 in an opposite direction and in so doing itgives a rotary movement to the valves 23 thereby momentarily stoppingthe entry of the operative fluid to the particular cylinder, then openand chang ing the inlet from that passage to that of another cylinder,thereby reversing the motion of the engine.

AtFigs. 29 to 31 is shown a double actingengine with a pair of cylinders92 and 93 fixed to projections 94 95 on the bedplate 1, and a thirdprojection 96 is provided for the block, 97 in which are formed anumber, say, four, of circumferential grooves marked 98, 100, 102,104and with a central opening 106 which communicates with the exhaust pipe32. Owing to the engine cylinders be.- ing arranged on the bedplateinstead of pendantly flxed to the plate 3 on the top of the standards,it requires that the driving shaft 13 should be mounted on the top ofthe standards 2 in suitable bearings and on each end of the drivingshaft 13 and on the outside of the standards 2, 2 is mounted a weightedor other disc 107 provided with a pin 108 to which is connected thebifurcated rod 109 which is jointed to the end of the piston rod 110which works through a guide 111 of any suitable construction fixed to astandard 2. In this case a piston 112 which is secured to the lower endof each piston rod 110 is of any ordinary and suitable construction. Thetwo cylinders are provided with passages 113, 114, 115 and 116; that isto say, two passages for each cylinder'whereby the operative fluid isbrought into each cylinder alternately at each-of its ends. The passages113 to 116 respectively communicate with the passages in the cylinderand the circular grooves in the block 97 as follows Passages 113 and 114in cylinder 92 communicate respectively with passages 98 and 102, andpassages 115 and 116 ofcylinder 93 respectively with passages 100 and104.

Horizontal communications are made at predetermined points in the block97 which communicate with the circumferential grooves 98, 100, 102 and'104 respectively. That is to say, three vertical passages 118communicate with the groove 98 by means of three passages 99,-' one ofwhich is shown in the drawings,- and three vertical passages 119communicate with circumferential'groove 102 by means of three passages117. Circumferential grooves 100' and 104 are connected to the threevertical inlet passages 120 by similar passages to the passage 117, butthese lastnamed passages are not shown in the drawings. The exhaustoperative fluid passes from the cylinder 92 through the passage 114 toand along the circumferential groove 102 and thence to passage 119 bymeans of the connection 117 and through the exhaust recess 28 of therotary valve to the exhaust outlet 106. Inlet passages marked 118 (Fig.29) permit of the operative fluid passing through the inlet opening 25in the valve 23 into a passage which communicates with the circularpassage 98, and there are two other openings at points, at, say onehundred and twenty degrees apart similar to the passage 117 forpermitting the operative fluid to pass through the three inlet openingsin the rotary valve to the cylinder. When the exhaust recesses of therotary valve come over the vertical passages in the block (arrangedaround'the' same as shown at Fig. 31) the said vertical passages arethen used for exhaust purposes.

circumferential In. the position of the piston 112 shown in cylinder 92passage 11 1 is arranged to communicate with the circular groove 102 andthe exhaust 7 fluid travels round that groove until it reaches theopenings 117, and then it can in the plan view (Fig. 31),are alsoemployed and they will vary in length to correspond with the grooves 100and 10 1 respectively for admitting in the first instance the operativefluid into passage 100 and for the exhaust to enter the circular groove104 and to pass through openings in the block to vertical passages 120.-

It" will readily be understood that three inlet openings in the valvecommunicate with each circular groove at one time, and at the same timethree exhaust ports are open. That is to say, three inlet ports markedat Fig. 31 as 118 are opened simultaneously, and three exhaust ports 119are also opened, and the other ports are then wholly closed by the solidportions of the valve between the exhaust and the inlet portions.

Owing to the cylinders being arranged on the bedplate instead of at adistance above and therefrom, the casing 9, rotary valve 23, spurgearing 42 and 37, antifrictional race 38 and balls 39, balance piston20, worm 66 and worm wheel 65, reversing level 73 and parts connectedtherewith and the fly wheel or driving pulley let are all arranged abovethe cylinders and are of a similar construction to those described forthe single acting engine except that the vertical shaft 7 is shortenedto adapt it to the new positions of the cylinders and that bracket 122takes the place of the crosspiece 6, and bracket 123 also takes theplace of the piston and valve, and means for roof lug 45. The bracket122 is arranged so as to support the spindle or bolt 8 and shaft Thereversing of the engine is accomplished as previously described.

On steam being admitted to a cylinder through the inlet ports, motionwill be transmitted from the piston to the crank shaft, thence throughthe worm to the vertical shaft, and on the valve spindle for communi-'eating the necessary rotary motion to the valve for the admission ofsteam to one cylinder whilst the exhaust steam is being conveyed awayfrom a second cylinder of each group. i

What I claim is 1. Mechanism for controlling the admission and exhaustof a fluid pressure engine comprising a casing, a rotary valve in saidcasing having a stem extending outward through the casing and providedwith an abutment, a piston loosely mounted on the valve stem between thevalve and the abutment, means for introducing operative fluid into thecasing to act on'the opposed faces tating the valve.

2. Mechanism for controlling the admission and exhaust of a fluidpressure engine comprising a casing having inner and outer chambers ofdifferent areas, the inner chamher being larger than the outer, a rotaryvalve in the inner chamber of the casing and having a stem extendingthrough said outer chamber, a piston fitted on the valve stem within theouter chamber of the casing and free to move longitudinally thereon, anabutment on the piston stem for limiting movement of the piston awayfrom the valve, means for introducingoperative fluid into the casing toact on the opposed faces of the piston and valve, and means for rotatingthe valve independent of the piston.

JAMES EDWARD SCHUMACHER.

Witnesses :l,

H. FAIRBURN-HART, ALICE N. TURNER.

